USS Lincoln deployment hits 265 days, families decry ‘forever war’

The USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group has been deployed for more than 265 days, and the father of a 20-year-old sailor on board has called the US-Iran conflict a 'forever war', Newsweek reports. Jefferson Kelly, from Cincinnati, said he had feared such an outcome after President Donald Trump returned to the White House. The carrier left San Diego on 21 November 2025 for the Indo-Pacific but was redirected to the Middle East in January. It supported joint US-Israel attacks on Iran on 28 February, Operation Epic Fury, and the blockade of Iranian ports.

Families have reported shortages of food, sanitary products, razors and soap, disrupted mail, and exhausted sailors. Ashley Rogers, wife of an officer, said care packages took 2.5 months to arrive. Some sailors have attempted or prepared to go overboard, but the Navy says it has not seen a rise in suicidal ideation. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has called reports about conditions 'completely misrepresented'. The Navy says sailors have clean water, healthy meals, and that mental health cases aboard the Lincoln are among the lowest in the fleet, according to US Central Command Commander Adm Brad Cooper.

Cooper acknowledged long sea service is 'uniquely challenging' and praised the crew's resilience. The carrier is now preparing to return home. Jefferson Kelly said he acted on his own initiative, not at his son's request.